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Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services lowered the outlook on the State of Alaska’s credit rating from “stable” to “negative” on Aug. 18, and gave politicians one year to reorganize the fiscal house before the downgrades accelerate.

Standard and Poor’s wrote that the current budget deficit is inconsistent with the state’s “AAA” rating on its general obligation bonds and its “AA+” on appropriation-backed bonds, but cited the state’s still healthy budget reserves as a bridge that could maintain the high ratings.

It was tough to find anyone who was more excited than Sen. Lisa Murkowski at Dan Sullivan’s election night party.

Warming up the crowd before Sullivan entered as final vote tallies were still rolling in, and with the Republican challenger maintaining the comfortable lead he held all night over incumbent Sen. Mark Begich, Murkowski walked away from the microphone and grabbed a chair, lofting it over her head and asking the crowd if they knew what it meant for the U.S. Senate.

ANCHORAGE — Speaking geologist is a foreign language to most, but understanding excitement is universal.

It is written all over Melanie Werdon’s face and loud and clear through her voice as she talks about the good old fashioned detective work of Alaska state geologists that led to significant findings of gold and strategic mineral anomalies during 2011 both in William Henry Bay north of Juneau and at the Moran deposit west of Fairbanks.

KODIAK — The North Pacific Fishery Management Council voted Friday to reduce the allowable halibut bycatch by trawlers and longliners by 15 percent, to be phased in over three years with a targeted implementation in 2014.

After about two days of public comment from about 100 stakeholders at the Harbor Convention Center, the council passed the measure introduced by Dan Hull of Anchorage by a 10-1 vote. Outgoing member Dave Benson of Washington was the lone dissent.

A consulting firm recommended sweeping changes centered on improving transparency and increasing stakeholder participation after completing a performance review of the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

Concur Inc. submitted its review April 30, and conducted a webinar May 7 presenting its findings with 12 recommendations to bring one of the world’s oldest and most well-respected fisheries management bodies in line with the best practices of today.

Frustrated senators from coastal states are wielding the power of the purse to rein in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and refocus the agency's priorities on its core missions.

During recent appropriations subcommittee hearings April 17, Sen. Lisa Murkowski ensured no funds would be provided in fiscal year 2013 for coastal marine spatial planning, a key component of President Barack Obama's National Ocean Policy.

Led by seafood, Alaskan exports enjoyed another record year in 2011 with a value of more than $5.2 billion, a $1 billion increase from 2010.

The previous record for Alaska exports was set in 2010 at $4.2 billion, just greater than $4 billion in exports in 2006 and 2007, and last year's numbers were a 57 percent increase versus $3.3 billion in exports in 2009.

Seafood topped the growth with a 35 percent increase in value during 2011 compared to 2010, and accounted for nearly half the state exports at $2.5 billion. All data are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

If halibut thrived on hard feelings, there would likely be a trophy fish for everyone by now.

With another round of deep cuts to the halibut harvest for the 2012 season that began March 17, and regulatory actions to manage trawl bycatch and the allocations between commercial and sport fishermen bogged down in controversy, there has been no shortage of finger-pointing among user groups over the last few months.

A pair of halibut regulatory actions once intended to take effect in 2012 are winding their way through the council process with an uncertain future.

Reductions in halibut bycatch by trawlers and longliners were once envisioned to be put in place this year, as was the controversial catch sharing plan, or CSP, that would divide the annual halibut harvest as a percentage between commercial and charter fishermen.